Layer 2 problem with MESH?

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hello dear people :slight_smile:

I've got two Dynalink DL-WRX36. One PC on LAN on AP1 and an QSW-M2108-2C managed Switch via LAN on AP2. Both AP's are configured as an MESH. And they provides each one an bridge, which brings wifi and lan together.

for example:

Computer -> LAN -> DL-WRX36 AP1 -> MESH <- DL-WRX36 AP2 <- LAN <- QSW-M2108-2C <- LAN <- bunch of servers

problem description:

it seems that from DL-WRX36 (AP1) MAC Addresses on DL-WRX36 (AP2) get lost over MESH to the QNAP Switch including the Switch and back

From DL-WRX36 (AP1) to DL-WRX36 (AP2) over Ethernet I've got an package package loss with 0%
From DL-WRX36 (AP2) to its LAN and the QNAP Switch I've got an package loss about 0%
From DL-WRX36 (AP1) over MESH to the DL-WRX36 (AP2) to the QNAP Switch I've got an package loss about 86%

A similar result i get if check the arp tables on both AP's. On the first AP are not every time all MA>C Addresses shown from the second AP and its LAN behind.

On my DL-WRX36 I'm using OpenWRT 23.05 and they are rumors that QNAP delivers their switches with OpenWRT too.

I've inspected my logs on both AP's but didn't find anything :frowning:
How I could get more Information to see what is exactly going wrong

2

You can run some iperf3 across to any "bunch of servers"

ARP tables are not synchronized in any way.
OpenWRT does not do switching, it just programs switching ASIC-s in various switches supported, including those driving more than one port on most routers.

3

I do not like to an benchmark. What I like to do, is to find out what in god his name breaks the connectivity when packages are going from the LAN of AP1 over the MESH to AP2to its LAN and back after

In my case thats the idea behind a simple MESH with up to 200 Systems maximum. I've begun to read something about BATMAN. But I gues that would be to much and to big for me if it would be the solution

4

I am not quite sure about your topology, given the devices involved.

Is this part of the connection wireless - does it need to be?
If so, 'mesh' is a rather overloaded term, what kind of 'mesh' are you using exactly (e.g. OEM firmware/ proprietary, WDS/ 4addr (which isn't actually mesh, but functionally equivalent for the depicted setup), 802.11s, B.A.T.M.A.N., <insert variety of other options here>)?

5

DL-WRX36 AP1 = OpenWRT 23.05
DL-WRX36 AP2 = OpenWRT 23.05

Both builds the mesh :slight_smile:

They is no problem between the wireless mesh nodes. But the issue is on the both connected LAN between the MESH where I lose connectivity

configured like:

config interface 'loopback'
	option device 'lo'
	option proto 'static'
	option band '5g'
	option hwmode '11a'
	option htmode 'VHT80'
	option txpower '23'
	option cell_density '0'
	option country 'DE'

config wifi-iface 'wifinet1'
	option device 'radio0'
	option mode 'mesh'
	option encryption 'sae'
	option mesh_id 'ALIBABA-MESH-5'
	option mesh_fwding '1'
	option mesh_rssi_threshold '0'
	option key 'godsavenorthkorea'
	option network 'lan'
	option ifname 'mesh0'
	option time_advertisement '2'
	option time_zone 'CET-1CEST,M3.5.0,M10.5.0/3'
6

It is not clear what you mean by this...
Do you have both mesh and wired links?
Where does the switch come into the setup?

If so, with both, on a simple 2 node 802.11s configuration you will get an immediate mesh/bridging loop causing a storm of looping traffic and the rapid failure of the network.